Espionage, Fantasy, and British Masculinity During the Cold War
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The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Master's Theses Summer 8-2016 Shaken, Not Stirred: Espionage, Fantasy, and British Masculinity During the Cold War Anna Rikki Nelson University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses Part of the Cultural History Commons, European History Commons, History of Gender Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons, and the Public History Commons Recommended Citation Nelson, Anna Rikki, "Shaken, Not Stirred: Espionage, Fantasy, and British Masculinity During the Cold War" (2016). Master's Theses. 195. https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/195 This Masters Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: ESPIONAGE, FANTASY, AND BRITISH MASCULINITY DURING THE COLD WAR by Anna Rikki Nelson A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School and the Department of History at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved: ________________________________________________ Dr. Allison Abra, Committee Chair Assistant Professor, History ________________________________________________ Dr. Andrew I. Ross, Committee Member Assistant Professor, History ________________________________________________ Dr. Heather M. Stur, Committee Member Associate Professor, History ________________________________________________ Dr. Karen S. Coats Dean of the Graduate School August 2016 COPYRIGHT BY Anna Rikki Nelson 2016 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: ESPIONAGE, FANTASY, AND BRITISH MASCULINITY DURING THE COLD WAR by Anna Rikki Nelson August 2016 This project seeks to define and explore the development of Cold War British masculinity and national identity in response to decolonization. Following World War II, Great Britain experienced a time of political and cultural rebuilding. This project argues that following World War II, Britain had to renegotiate gender and national identity within the context of decolonization, the rise of the welfare state, and Britain’s diminished role in global politics, and the tensions within gender and national identity were expressed in Britain’s interest in espionage narratives both real and fictionalized. British spy novels by Ian Fleming, Desmond Cory, and John Le Carré dominated fiction, and the real-life drama of the Cambridge Five captivated the news media. The James Bond films of the 1960s were the negotiating of the new British masculinity and American masculinity on the silver screen. This project builds on and bridges gaps between the historiographies on espionage, popular culture, gender, and empire. The cultural impact of James Bond is well documented by Jeremy Black and James Chapman. Black draws connections between the popularity of James Bond and Cold War foreign policy, and Chapman analyzes the cultural impact of the James Bond films. This project seeks to look beyond Chapman and Black and present a new analysis of how the British man developed into the British Cold War Hero represented by the James Bond films. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee chair and advisor, Dr. Allison Abra, for her endless support of this project. I often think she believed in me and, in this project, far more than I ever did. Dr. Abra was the source of guidance when I was lost and often a shoulder to cry on when I wanted to give up. I often feel like Dr. Abra supported me when no one else did. I would also like to thank my other committee members. Dr. Andrew Ross’s advice through the writing process of several chapters was often encouraging and helpful. Dr. Heather Stur supported me throughout both my graduate and undergraduate career. It was on her advice that I pursued my masters in history, and I am forever grateful for her support. Last, but far from least, I want to thank Dr. Brian LaPierre. Dr. LaPierre was unable to sit for my thesis defense, but it was not for lack of trying. Dr. LaPierre did, though, participate in my comprehensive exams and oversaw much of my course work both as an undergraduate and graduate student. As an undergraduate student, Dr. LaPierre’s teaching style inspired my love for the classic university lecture, and I modeled my lecture style after my experiences in his classroom. I do not think I would have been successful in graduate school as a student or as a teaching assistant without his support. I want to thank my fellow graduate students Tracy Barnett, Rob Farrell, and Nick Schaefer for their support and their patience with my endless rants on James Bond. I especially want to thank Olivia Moore. I would not have completed my thesis without our weekly thesis workshops. I also want to thank the History Department and The University of Southern Mississippi. Southern Miss gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion, to travel, and to teach. iii DEDICATION This thesis would not have been possible without one person. Justin Baggett was both the inspiration and editor for my project. Two years ago, late one evening, Justin suggested watching a James Bond movie after we shared a few glasses of wine. Halfway through the film, Justin commented that he never understood why American men related to John Wayne because he always personally wanted to be James Bond. He then commented that he assumed it was because he related more to European men than American men. I laughed and told him all that sounded like a thesis project, and he dared me to write my Master’s thesis on James Bond. Consider this challenge accepted. Justin then read every word, sentence, paragraph, page, and chapter that I wrote for my thesis. I am reasonably sure that he read my thesis more times than I did. He was always the first to tell me when an idea was not working or when something needed to be reworked. I’m sorry for ruining James Bond for you, Justin. I also want to thank my family. My siblings, Joshua Nelson, Kaitlin Hare, and April Berryhill, are all tired of hearing about James Bond but still humor me. Throughout my graduate school experience, a multitude of changes have occurred in my family. My siblings always were able to provide me with needed distractions when I was drowning in work. I also want to thank a very special friend, Michael Rapier. When I grew particularly fatigued with graduate work, Michael was always there to share supper and wine and Game of Thrones with me. To quote the theme from Golden Girls, Michael, “thank you for being a friend!” Last, but far from least, I want to thank my parents, Ricky and Tammy Nelson. The best thing they ever did was throw their nineteen-year-old daughter in a pea patch iv one summer in the Mississippi heat. After picking peas under the beating sun and shelling them until my fingers bled, I appreciated every moment I spent reading and writing. They encouraged my love of reading and learning, and without their love and support, I would not have made it as far as I have. I don’t think many parents would be as comfortable as mine were with their youngest daughter running off to Vietnam, France, or to live across the country. They always supported my adventurous spirit. Thanks mother and daddy! I love you both very much. This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my beloved grandmother, Christine Fines Taylor. I wish you were here to see what your grandbabies can do. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Literature Review............................................................................................................ 6 Sources and Methodology............................................................................................. 15 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER II – HEROES AND TRAITORS: REAL LIFE ESPIONAGE IN POPULAR CULTURE ........................................................................................................................ 21 Odette and Violette: The Shift in World War II Spy Narratives .................................. 24 Espionage in the News: The Cases of Jules and Ethel Rosenberg, Klaus Fuchs, and the Cambridge Five ............................................................................................................. 33 CHAPTER III - STRANGER THAN FICTION: JAMES BOND, FANTASY, AND LITERATURE .................................................................................................................. 46 Ian Fleming and James Bond: Creating a Fantasy ........................................................ 50 Desmond Cory and Johnny Fedora: Embracing Bond and Imperial Nostalgia ............ 60 John Le Carré and George Smiley: Anti-Bond, Anti-Empire....................................... 69 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................